What If
by hopelesswriting
Summary: When the Golden Trio get taken to the Malfoy Manor, what would've happened if their escape didn't go as planned.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi! I'm Ade, I wrote a story on here a couple years back, but never finished it. I got back into reading fan fiction about 6 months ago, and realized I wanted to start writing again. I'm not the best with consistency but I hope to update at least every other week. I'll write a short piece of the story for this so it's not just and Author's Note. Everything I write, characters and places all belong to J.K. Rowling. I only own the plot. I hope you guys enjoy this story and give me feed back and suggestions. Thank you! :)**

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 ** _Prologue_**

The cold, crisp, silent air was cut by the clouds of harsh breathing let off by the slight part in dusty rose lips. Amber eyes frantically searched their surroundings, silver illuminating the usual lightly tanned skin. Slim fingers brushed the vine entangled wand as feet crushed frozen ground. Dark curled hair flew behind as she was joined side by side by unruly jet black hair and emerald eyes and red hair and stone blue eyes. Running from the balding man with fangs and beady eyes, the ashy eyed leader with a ponytail, followed by even more equally deadly snatchers. Light flew past, needing to be dodged. It went unnoticed that the red hair had disappeared and left only emerald eyes running, fractionally falling behind. When she turned around she realized that the boy with unruly black hair had to be protected. Raising a wand towards him there was a silent moment before his face started to swell, covering the infamous lightning scar and his identity. Hands grabbed from behind, dragging her up and immobilizing her. When she looked over she saw both her best friends being held like her. The realization dawned, The Golden Trio had been captured.


	2. Captured

**A/N: In all honesty I have no idea what I'm doing, but I hope you're enjoying what I've put out so far. I was honestly really anxious to put this first chapter up, nervous to see what people think but also excited to know if anyone likes it. This chapter is shorter than I hoped it would be but it writing it was like introducing you to a POV that I'll be using throughout this fic. I really hope you enjoy the first chapter, and don't forget to leave me some feedback! -Ade**

 **Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own anything but the plot. The world and all the characters belong to the wonderful and amazing J.K. Rowling.**

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It was still night when the Malfoy Manor loomed across the lawns. The regularly tan stone looked black and deadly in the cloud covered skies. The snatchers were back, and in hand were the entire Malfoy family's ticket back into the good graces of the Dark Lord. The moonlight caressing the frost tipped grass reflected onto the pale, slender fingers that rested on the window sill; underneath, the dark hawthorn wand guarded safely, ready to be grasped. Smooth pale skin creased, a smirk crawled upwards as the door to survival opened once more. Pearly blue eyes followed the silhouettes of the captured Golden Trio; not bothering to turn away from the crystallized window letting in cold that snaked it's way into the already freezing manor. There may have been a moment of rejoice upon seeing another chance at life. But, that moment didn't last long and the feeling was far from relaxed. Only when the bedroom door opened did the icy stare of blue eyes turn away from the window, now turning a steel grey in the darkness. He lightly softened his expression when he saw who had interrupted his peaceful state. The woman in the doorway smiled sadly at him, her features near identical to his. Her gaze wasn't lost in translation, she was worried about him. They stood in silence for what seemed like ages, savoring the only break from the terror called their lives. With a shake of her head, she cleared her throat gathered herself up.

"They're here, and your father needs you to confirm it's truly them." She spoke coldly, not directed towards him, but at the circumstances of what awaited them downstairs.

His hardened face faltered for a split second before he gave a curt nod and brushed past her. The long hallway taunted him as he walked down it, shadows grabbing after him. Two sets of footsteps echoed, alerting him that his mother was behind. If not for the circumstances, having his mother near him after being summoned by his father would be comforting. Reaching a set of two large intricately designed oak doors, he paused, took a breath, and cleared his head, then pushed them open and walked through. There was no room for fear or doubt. Raising his head, he looked around his surroundings, meeting his father's harsh stare. No time was wasted before he was addressed.

"I do believe you will do well to recognize your classmates, hm?" Lucius Malfoy all but spat. "We don't want anymore mistakes with the Dark Lord now do we."

"No, Father." He stood straighter, aware that he was being addressed by his mistake rather than him.

With an unfaltering expression, Draco Malfoy turned to the heap of limbs that lay on the floor of the entry room. He didn't have time to enforce his stand of how it was distasteful they were even in his home. Naturally a comment about how the blood spilt, any of it, was dirty and was disgraceful it even touched anything near anything Malfoy. But, he only saw things as if it were slow motion. The mudblood and the blood traitor being yanked up backwards and the swollen faced boy being held by the witch with hair even more unruly than him. There was a slow cackle that sped up as the room fell more silent.

"Come here, sweet boy, is this him? Can we call the Dark Lord?" The light, euphoric, pitch could've broken glass. She held out her hand, her hooded black eyes filled with years of hatred and insanity. She grinned sinfully as Draco let her grab his own hand, and be pulled forcefully towards the repulsive swollen face.

"Is it?" Her voice got higher, "Draco, is it Potter?"

Her eyes got wild, "I can't be certain. His face is too swollen." Draco softly confessed, a force behind the words yet still emotionless.

The one open emerald eye pierced what seemed like glowing gray ones. Lucius took a step towards his near identical son but stopped short when Bellatrix screeched.

"Where did you get that?!" She snarled, pointing her wand at one of the snatchers who was holding what looked like an impressive sword. Silver and red, goblin-forged steel with a rich red ruby studded hilt. Draco could recognize value in anything, he lived in value.

The snatcher shrugged and everything blurred together. Looking back towards the ground where Harry Potter was forced on his knees, all he saw was confusion. No hate, it caught Draco off guard, but he had no time to question anything before the boy he was looking down on was yanked up and forced down to the cellar with the blood traitor. In the events Draco missed, his back to the snatchers, his deranged Aunt Bellatrix had stunned the majority of the group in a matter of seconds. This left Narcissa and Lucius standing slightly behind Draco, and the mudblood being approached by the psychotic witch. He took a step backwards when she became nose to nose with the last of the three prisoners.

"I'll have a conversation with this one. Girl to girl!"

Draco stood stiff, he knew what the consequences put on his family if he failed the Dark Lord one more time. It wasn't just a price on his head, but his mother's as well; and since his father had abandoned everything for his duties to the Dark Lord, he was responsible for his mother's protection. He wanted everything to be over, power and pride were the only things he had wanted out of becoming a Death Eater, following in his father's footsteps. All that had caused, was chaos and shame on his family's name, and now he wished he would've chosen differently. Maybe if he had broken the cycle of worshipping everything his father did, his mother wouldn't be in constant danger and he wouldn't have to worry about the trials of recovering the broken social status of the Malfoy name. Wishing was something for children, and Draco was not a child. So, he stood straight and expressionless, standing by the morals he had chosen.

The last thing he saw before turning away, was his aunt grabbing Hermione Granger and throwing her to the ground, a wicked gleam of teeth as a wide and sinister grin crept on Bellatrix Lestrange's face.


	3. Tortured

**A/N: I'm sorry this has taken so long! The end of school mixed with finals has been insane and writing has taken me longer than I thought. I nearly was at the point of writer's block but came up with a good couple ideas. Hopefully people will continue to read this. Don't forget to leave me reviews! Enjoy! -Ade**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter world or the characters. Those rights go to the goddess who is J.K. Rowling, I just own the plot.**

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Screams tore through the entrance of the Malfoy Manor. It was as if the dark wood paneled walls shook all the way up to the detailed tan ceiling. The sky outside was dark and the inside of the Manor was naturally dark and somber, so everything seemed even more grim. Tendrils of dark brown curled hair reached out for any type of release, as did arms and legs, pinned to the cold, hard ground. Hermione Granger was writhing under Bellatrix Lestrange, her left arm being punctured by a cursed blade. Rich red sliding down peach skin, falling onto the dark marble floor. Amber eyes were scrunched tight as the jerky movements of the blade continued. The normal course of thoughts and strategy was no longer, replaced with fragments of her surroundings and trying to stop feeling the pain, all dotted with black. From what she could process, there was platinum blonde hair, tan columns, a terrifying grin, a silver flash. Blood. Her blood. Someone was screaming, and the logical part of her knew it was her. But, through her shattered thoughts and vision, she couldn't process her own screaming.

"Where did you get it," the insane witch screeched. "Did you and your friends steal it out of my vault?"

"I don't know, I didn't take anything." Hermione sobbed between clenching her teeth in agony.

These responses did anything but please Bellatrix as she scoffed and continued carving into the witch below her. The slight pause in her work allowed Granger to look around, and her eyes met the gray ones staring straight at her. His stoic expression flickered when she let out another scream, her eyes pleading for something from him. It wasn't usual for her to ask for help, but she needed to get Harry out and back to finding the horcruxes, and to ask for help from someone who had looked down on her for the past 7 years. Draco Malfoy was the only person with enough power and humanity left to do something. There was something about the way he responded to the pleading that showed her he knew what she was trying to get across.

Fire spread up Hermione's arm, seeping into her chest and her legs, through her whole body. She shook her head back and forth, trying to kick the witch on top of her off with her legs. It was almost as if there was no other sound in the Manor than her own screaming, occasionally Bellatrix's screaming accusations and pressing questions. With all her effort she kept looking at Draco, still pleading. He looked miserable, just for a split second and then he was back to expressionless, though you could see it the pale gray of his eyes. Tears blurred her vision, but she knew he was still looking at her. In the distance it was recognized that Ron Weasley was yelling her name, desperate to get to her. This seemed to annoy everyone else in the room, more so than her screaming.

"Go check on our prisoners." There was the cold voice of Lucius Malfoy that was faintly recognized, like a far away echo.

There was a shuffle of people and then the fading sound of footsteps descending on stairs. More screams rang around the room, followed with the same answer not taking anything and not knowing how the sword was put in the possession of the Golden Trio. The older Malfoys stood to the side, Lucius looking bored; Narcissa looked paler than normal and was facing the window, not wanting to see someone who could've been her son be put through this torture.

"Where are they you bloody idiot?!" Greyback's roar was heard, nearly as loud as Granger's screams.

There was a sudden commotion, Bellatrix was no longer on top of Hermione and was yanking her up. Lucius was running down to the cellar where the yell was heard, and Narcissa stood where she was, not letting her son out of her sight. Upon yanking the younger witch up the furious witch threw her into Draco, who had to catch her. One arm was around her waist and the right arm was pressed against her collar bone. The silver knife was thrust into his higher hand, and reflexively he raised the sparkling blade to her neck. Then everyone but Narcissa had gone down to the cellar, you could hear dueling, yelling. Hermione's breath was ragged and even though there was one move Malfoy could make to kill her, she had to lean against him for support. She felt him tense, and then the knife lowered, he moved his right hand and put the blade into his pocket.

"You have to move fast." She was let go but they started to move backwards, her darkened eyes swept the room and saw that the woman still standing there was looking over her with a slight smile and nodding.

"Wha-" She didn't get to ask when the boy grabbed her arm and started running, she couldn't keep track of how many doors they passed or what turns they took.

As the two ran her body was searing with pain. When they stopped, there was a quick intake of surroundings. There was a fire place up against one wall and a tile floor. There was a wooden table in the middle and lots of house elves moving around.

"The kitchen?" Was the only thing she could say through clenched teeth and harsh breathing.

She was leaning heavily on him but still managed to look up with an eyebrow raised and a confused expression. Draco rolled his eyes, annoyed, but didn't look at her for long before he pointed at one of the house elfs and started quickly leaving orders.

"I'll be back soon, Spero will you please take Granger to somewhere safe. You'll be taking me later." Then he was back down the hallway.

When he left she fell into the table and surrounded by house elves. They all looked at her with wide eyes, no doubt surprised their master brought a mudblood in the kitchen. Sighing, she tried to straighten herself and looked with a small smile at the one who acknowledged being called Spero. It was a surprise to her that he was so respectful to the house elves. Even from the kitchen you could hear Bellatrix's scream at the discovery of her disappearance. She hoped no one else would get hurt because of it. Right then the house elf took Hermione's hand in her own and with a crack they were gone.


	4. Escape

**A/N: I love summer because I have time to write and I can sleep in. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, and PLEASE know that I'm not trying to copy anyone else's story. It's just hard to come up with alternative's that stay true to the book and accurate to the plot line. Please don't for get to leave me feedback and review. Tell me what you think! Hope you enjoy reading! -Ade**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the world, unfortunately. Those wonderful rights go to J.K. Rowling. I do own the plot though.**

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When Draco got back into the entry way he looked slightly out of breath and everyone started to emerge from the cellar looking particularly furious. It was only when his aunt saw him that there was a focus point in the room again. He awaited the pain, the knife in his left hand and his wand in his right.

"Where is that filthy mudblood?!" Bellatrix screamed loudly.

"I didn't have time, the elf showed up and grabbed her, then they were gone. I tried to stop them but he apparated out of here." He spoke rushed, but managed to keep a calm facade.

"What bloody elf?" Her eyes were raging.

"The old one we used to have," he scrambled for the name. "Dobby."

He went expressionless and blocked out all thoughts of what he just did when he saw the change in his Aunt's expression. It was known that she would use legilimens to see if his answer was the truth. When he offered up thoughts that would secure his story he felt her leave. Bellatrix stood in front of him fuming, he braced himself for some type of punishment. But, nothing came, just her back turned to him and towards his father.

"You can go now, Draco." His father addressed him coldly, another mistake on the Malfoy family's head.

When Draco turned he could see from the corner of his eye, his mother moving towards the doorway as well. As he let her in front of him she touched his shoulder lightly, a gesture of pride and of approval. She knew what he did and she was proud of him. His face softened and he brushed his fingers over hers. They went separate ways, Narcissa to the left and Draco back towards the kitchen. Leaving the entryway, he could hear the whispers of angry plotting and the thriving hope of revenge and victory.

Back in the kitchen a deep breath was taken and a tired smile pointed at Spero who had stepped forward. She had always been a positive to coming home during the holidays, had always taken what was thrown at her with a good spirit. When Draco started to realize that his life had become ruled by everyone but him, though he enjoyed the power and the security of it, Spero had gotten him whatever he needed even if it wasn't asked of her. Now, she risked her life taking a prisoner to refuge. He knew he owed her.

"Where did you take Granger?" Draco asked quietly.

"Somewhere safe like you asked." Spero said proudly.

"Thank you, where is that safe place?" His tone was patient, and calm, no trace of irritation.

Spero motioned for him to come closer and grabbed his hand, looking to see if it was okay that she take him to where Hermione was rather than tell him. With a snap of her hand, the two disappeared from the kitchen and appeared in the calm surroundings of a forested area. Again was the upward curl of lips pressed against pale skin. It wasn't a smirk of relief or malice, but of fondness and recognition.

High in altitude, the thin air could be felt and the smell of rain coated the air. Still late in the night, the moon proudly cast a silver glow on everything below it. The trees leaned forward, looking down on the two beings traveling towards the house on the hill. It was small for a Malfoy, but easy to put wards over to make it undetectable by those who were unwanted. Stone, with dark wood doors that stood tall, this was no humble house, it was still a mansion. When Draco and his companion walked in the familiar smell of cedar and citrus greeted them happily. Footsteps echoed through the house, though it was much more open and much less ominous than the Malfoy Manor.

"Granger?" Draco called out, trying not to sound disgusted.

"I believe she might be near the fire." Spero suggested quietly, she knew her master wasn't the happiest that she had brought a stranger to his private home.

"This is a safe place, thank you." He acknowledged the elf, getting a respectful nod in return. "Would you go make some tea?"

After walking a few more paces he came upon the familiar sight of haphazard curls. She sat on the ground, in front of the fire like the house elf had said, unmoving and tense. The girl in front of Draco no longer disgusted him, just annoyed him. He no longer had reason to hate her, his father had proven to him that his loyalties would always lay with the Dark Lord and not with his family. When that realization was made, Draco had decided he no longer wanted to strive for perfection in his father's eyes. This included blood status, after all the people he had seen killed and tortured, the realization that there was no difference became apparent.

It didn't change the fact that the person sitting in front of his fire place still made him furious for countless reasons. But, it had gone through his mind more than once during his aunt's insanity that someone his age didn't deserve to go through torture of any sort. It wasn't pity, he didn't feel the weaker of the emotions, if any at all. He slowly approached the girl, not wanting her to be completely terrified.

"Granger?" He said again, softly.

She whipped around, her amber eyes wild, "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing, I-" He stopped. "I want to help."


End file.
